Broadband telecommunications system interface

Abstract

The invention is a system for interfacing a GR-303 system with a broadband system. The broadband system can be an ATM system. The invention can process the GR-303 signaling to select ATM connections and then interwork the GR-303 connections with the selected ATM connections. The invention can interwork GR-303 signaling and SS7 signaling. The invention can also process SS7 signaling to select GR-303 connections and then interwork ATM connections with the selected GR-303 connections.

We claim:  
     
       1. A communication system comprising: 
       a digital channel cross-connect configured to cross-connect individual digital channels with one another based on channel control signals;  
       a remote terminal configured to exchange analog user communications and analog signaling with user communication devices, interwork the analog user communications with digital user communications, interwork the analog signaling with digital signaling, and exchange the digital user communications and the digital signaling with the digital channels;  
       a digital signal processor configured. to exchange the digital user communications with the digital channels;  
       an adaption layer configured to exchange the digital user communications with the digital channels and add identifiers to the digital user communications based on interworking control signals;  
       a routing device configured to route the digital user communications based on the identifiers added to the digital user communications; and  
       a signaling processor configured to exchange the digital signaling with the digital channels, process the digital signaling to generate the channel control signals that correspond the individual digital channels with one another, and process the digital signaling to generate the interworking control signals that correspond individual ones of the identifiers with the individual digital channels.  
     
     
       2. The communication system of  claim 1  wherein the digital channels comprise DS0 channels. 
     
     
       3. The communication system of  claim 1  wherein the digital user communications with the identifiers comprise asynchronous transfer mode communications. 
     
     
       4. The communication system of  claim 1  wherein the signaling processor is configured to process the digital signaling to generate the channel control signals to provide echo cancellation and the digital signal processor is configured to cancel echo from the digital user communications. 
     
     
       5. The communication system of  claim 1  wherein the digital signal processor is configured to detect tones in the digital user communications. 
     
     
       6. The communication system of  claim 1  wherein the digital signal processor is configured to add tones to the digital user communications. 
     
     
       7. The communication system of  claim 1  wherein the digital signal processor is configured to detect voice commands in the digital user communications. 
     
     
       8. The communication system of  claim 1  wherein the digital signal processor is configured to provide voice messages to the digital user communications. 
     
     
       9. The communication system of  claim 1  wherein the digital signal processor is configured to compress the digital user communications. 
     
     
       10. The communication system of  claim 1  wherein the digital signal processor is configured to encrypt the digital user communications. 
     
     
       11. The communication system of  claim 1  wherein the signaling processor is configured convert the digital signaling into digital Signaling System #7 signaling. 
     
     
       12. The communication system of  claim 1  wherein the signaling processor is configured process an initial address message for a telephone call to generate the channel and interworking control signals to facilitate the telephone call. 
     
     
       13. The communication system of  claim 1  wherein the digital channel cross-connect is further configured to cross-connect individual ones of the user communications devices. 
     
     
       14. The communication system of  claim 1  wherein the signaling processor is configured to process the digital signaling to select some of the identifiers to provide server access and the routing device is configured to route the digital user communications to a server based on the selected identifiers. 
     
     
       15. The communication system of  claim 1  wherein the remote terminal uses GR-303. 
     
     
       16. A method of operating a communication system comprising: 
       exchanging analog user communications and analog signaling with user communication devices;  
       interworking the analog user communications with digital user communications;  
       interworking the analog signaling with digital signaling;  
       exchanging the digital user communications and the digital signaling with digital channels;  
       processing the digital signaling from the digital channels to generate channel control signals that correspond individual ones of the digital channels with one another;  
       processing the digital signaling to generate interworking control signals that correspond individual identifiers with the individual ones of the digital channels;  
       cross-connecting the individual ones of the digital channels with one another based on the channel control signals;  
       applying digital signal processing to the digital user communications from the digital channels;  
       adding the identifiers to the digital user communications from the digital channels based on the interworking control signals; and  
       routing the digital user communications based on the identifiers added to the digital user communications.  
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16  wherein the digital channels comprise DS0 channels. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 16  wherein the digital user communications with the identifiers comprise asynchronous transfer mode communications. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 16  wherein processing the digital signaling to generate the channel control signals comprises processing the digital signaling to generate the channel control signals to provide echo cancellation and wherein applying digital signal processing to the digital user communications comprises cancelling echo from the digital user communications. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 16  wherein applying digital signal processing to the digital user communications comprises detecting tones in the digital user communications. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 16  wherein applying digital signal processing to the digital user Communications comprises adding tones to the digital user communications. 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 16  wherein applying digital signal processing to the digital user communications comprises detecting voice commands in the digital user communications. 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 16  wherein applying digital signal processing to the digital user communications comprises providing voice messages to the digital user communications. 
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 16  wherein applying digital signal processing to the digital user communications comprises compressing the digital user communications. 
     
     
       25. The method of  claim 16  wherein applying digital signal processing to the digital user communications comprises encrypting the digital user communications. 
     
     
       26. The method of  claim 16  further comprising converting the digital signaling into digital Signaling System #7 signaling. 
     
     
       27. The method of  claim 16  wherein processing the digital signaling to generate the channel and interworking control signals comprises processing an initial address message for a telephone call to generate the channel and interworking control signals to facilitate the telephone call. 
     
     
       28. The method of  claim 16  wherein cross-connecting the individual ones of the digital channels comprises cross-connecting individual ones of the user communication devices. 
     
     
       29. The method of  claim 16  wherein processing the digital signaling to generate the interworking control signals comprises processing the digital signaling to select some of the identifiers to provide server access and wherein routing the digital user communications based on the identifiers comprises routing the digital user communications to a server based on the selected identifiers. 
     
     
       30. The method of  claim 16  wherein exchanging the digital user communications and the digital signaling with the digital channels comprises using GR-303.